i always ask why the car is there... if it was obviously injured, and hit... then the motor may be a better choice, if the body and interior are good, then its either the engine or trany... and so on... keith
If its wrecked, it was moving, so the engine and trans were good at the time. Be careful about hard hits in the front, that might break the block or trans. Clean oil in a junkyard motor means 2 things. Either the guy was up on his oil changes or he ran it out of oil and poured 4 quarts of new oil in to get it started. Which it never did.. if the body is clean then the motor is usually bunk. If the trans oil is clean, it is usually crap as well. Last job done on most fried trannys is a fluid change. I own a junkyard so I have seen it all.
Try to turn the crank;( by moving the fan blade a few revolutions )0dds have it that if it will turn, it's usually salvageble, therefore worth going through if necessary.
A leakdown tester & air tank are your friend....unfortunately, sorta unwieldy. A compression tester will suffice if it will crank.
Know WHO you're buying it from. I know a couple of yards that their word is gospel, and I believe what's told to me. I also know yards and individuals who I wouldn't believe a thing they say. I got a brother-in-law who is a big believer in " Krylon overhauls". You wouldn't believe all the suckers he finds......Ole Porky
Check for clean oil, pull the plugs and look at them, see if the exhaust has oily carbon deposits, if its got the oil filler on the valve cover, take the cap off and see if there is gunk stuck to the top inside of the valve cover. If its got lots of gunk on the inside then I'd pass. Lots of gunk inside it comes from short drives where the engine doesnt get up to operating temp letting moisture condense inside the engine and not changing oil regular.
If it is all nicely steam cleaned/washed, it will have water inside it! Combustion chambers,oil pan,everywhere.Nothing quite like the feeling of your new motor $$$$$ full of RUST! I'll take an old greasy one anytime! glider.
I tried some junkyard engines over the years, but they all were crap. The best engines I've transplanted were ones where I bought the whole car, drove it for awhile, and then pulled the engine and tranny (if they were good), and then junked the rest of the car. I wish now I would have taken the rear-ends as well, but it's easier to get them towed-off if they are rollers.
nothing worse than putting in a motor and it ends up being a bigger pile of shit than the one you just pulled out. a compression test is going to tell you what you want 90% of the time. driving the car is probably the best, motors act different under a load. i won't take anyone word on a motor or transmission unless they are purchased cheaply as cores.
I luckily came across a 327 chevy that was in a 3 ton ford cabover. Seemed the ford tranny was shelled, the adapter was still good, and it had lime green antifreeze in it and gas still in the carb. Scooped it for $50. Also came across a 48 Ford Pu 3/4 ton, still had gas in the carb, lime green antifreeze, and new rotor and cap. $150 for it. Looked like someone was working on it and quit, it was caked with oil and dirt, but under that was an all red paintjob. it was a 59ab motor.
I usually try to find engines with manufacturers filters on them(Mopar, Motorcraft, GM) In hopes that it was dealer serviced regularly. But sometimes u win, sometimes u lose tc
we have a problem of hurricane flooded vehicle. they look good but full of salt water. all the junkyards are loaded with them
i have yet seen a motor that you can turn over by the fan, it will either cut your hands to hell or wont turn or turn independent of the motor a breaker bar and 15/16 socket are your friends at least if your looking at ford shit. But yeah pull the plugs wrecked cars are usually a good bet you kinda just get a feel for this sorta thing i have gotten 3 junk yard motors over the years never been burned so its just luck and knowing your junkyard owner
Junkyard engines are always junk. I bought a 300 to replace my 240 and ran it for a couple months before rebuilding. There was no thought given to indexing rod caps so some were off the thickness of a dime! Trust no one and pay core prices and you may luck out with a good one but you won't be pissed if it's not.
I suspect you're talking about a pick-it-yo-self JY. If that's the case, you can disassemble the engine as much as you want. Pick Your Part has 1/2-price sales almost every holiday. I think a lot of the unwrecked cars are there because they weren't worth fixing, and that says automagic transmission to me. Thanks, Kurt
I'd go by the wrecked thing for American cars. A car with tons of dents, scrapes, bad interior, bent trim and bottom fender rust but otherwise whole always has a bad engine. That's why they are junked, the owner had dreams of restoring his $500 car and when the motor went, he gave up. Weird makes often end up in the junkyard for silly crap like dead alternators because the owner is too dumb to get on the internet and find the part. I like to look for project cars that someones wife made them get rid of (look for the hours of sanding followed by years of surface rust).
one more thing antifreeze will seperate if it sits for extended periods so check the freeze plugs even if it looks like their is antifreeze in the block.
You guys are lucky. You won't buy any junk yard engines around here for core prices unless they are indeed just cores. We have "dismantlers". They have heard of the WWW. They will give you a short warranty period for exchange only. If you get to see the engine in the car, besides the obvious engine checks, check the rest of the car for signs of abuse. If the carpet is matted with beer and french fries, it's unlikely that the engine was maintained any better. If the car is trashed, the engine probably is too. If I see a factory oil filter, I assume it's the original one that has never been changed. I did buy a Pontiac with dealer oil change stickers indicating it was serviced regularly at the dealer. It was a good one.
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